The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of grapevine which will hereinafter be denominated varietally as "Jolly" and, more particularly, to a grapevine which bears seedless berries which are of an intense pink-red coloration, have a very good flavor and size and which are mature for harvesting and shipment approximately September 1 through September 15 in Delano in the San Joaquin Valley of California.
The development of new commercial varieties of fruit is a science requiring diligent efforts over prolonged periods of time, keen powers of observation and considerable good fortune. The horticulturist must produce or select those varieties deemed worthy of further observation; plant them in a controlled environment for such further observation; painstakingly observe the plants through several growing seasons; faithfully record the individual characteristics of the new varieties frequently numbering in the thousands; compare the individual characteristics of the new varieties, one to another, through the several growing seasons; and ultimately select one or more of the varieties for further development.
Once the selection has been made, the varieties selected are asexually reproduced and, in a sense, the process begins anew. Each variety selected is observed over, usually, several growing seasons until it has borne one or more crops to confirm that those attributes which caused the parent variety to be selected are present in the progeny. While in the case of commercial fruit varieties it is the commercial appeal of the fruit which is a paramount concern, there are a myriad of other considerations which are also of importance and yet which may be significantly more difficult to detect unless observed over many years. For example, considerations such as resistance to pests and disease, hardiness, the shipping quality of the fruit, prolonged shelf life and the like are all factors to be evaluated.
With the advent of a world economy for commercial fruit varieties, another factor is becoming of increasing importance. While the potential commercial significance of having opposite seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres has long been recognized, this potential has only relatively recently begun to be realized. The increase in price which can be obtained for fruit counterbalances the cost of shipment making possible the potential for a virtually year around availability of many fruit varieties. However, since the market for fruit, as with most consumer products, is dependent upon educating the consumer to recognize and purchase particular varieties, there is considerable commercial advantage in developing commercial fruit varieties which have superior characteristics when grown in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
The new variety of grapevine of the present invention possesses a unique combination of attributes which make it a particularly promising variety in that it fits well with existing commercial varieties having ripening dates over substantially contiguous time periods and otherwise has exceptional characteristics in the above-noted respects, particularly in its superior characteristics both when grown in the northern and southern hemispheres.